Kindergarten Volunteer as a Retiree

by Mary T.
(Virginia)

The best volunteer position I've held as a retiree was when I worked as an in-classroom assistant in the public schools.

I helped out one day a week for two hours in the kindergarten class. I did this for about five years.

I initially started so I could volunteer in my grandson's classroom. That was a great benefit since I was able to see him during the day and be more involved with his schooling.

I did easy tasks like reading story books, helping with craft projects and assisting the children with their spelling and writing. Each week it was something new and that was fun.

I continued with the same teacher after my grandson moved on and we developed a close personal relationship.

One of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering in the public schools was that I was able to grow close to many of the children and I found that many children have no access to their grandparents or older people.

It was nice to be able to expose them to a relationship with an older person that they might not have had otherwise. They were all so eager to learn and so loving.

There were not really any negatives to holding this volunteer position except that towards the end the two-hour period was a little bit long.

Also, I did have to have a background check but that was not a problem and it was paid for by the school system. Other school systems may require in-class volunteers to pay for their own background checks.